Automatic dispenser of individual flat sheets from a stack



Jan. 14, 1964 J. R. GOTHREAU AUTOMATIC DISPENSER OF INDIVIDUAL FLAT SHEETS FROM A STACK 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 16, 1960 Jan. 14, 1964 J. R. GOTHREAU 3,117,694

AUTOMATIC DISPENSER 0F INDIVIDUAL FLAT SHEETS FROM A STACK Filed May 16, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan- 14, 19 J. R. GOTHREAU AUTOMATIC DISPENSER 0F INDIVIDUAL FLAT SHEETS FROM A STACK 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 16. 1960 United States Patent 3,117,694 AUTOMATIC DISPENSER F INDIVIDUAL FLAT SHEETS FROM A STACK John R. Gothreau, 661 Fourth Ave., Berlin, N.H. Filed May 16, 1960, Ser. No. 29,224 16 Claims. (Cl. 22123) This invention relates to the dispensing of paper towels, napkins, wrapping material and other flexible sheet members.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved and simple automatic sheet dispenser capable of dispensing individual flat sheets from a stack. The principal advantageous feature of the invention is the unique single serving roll construction. The apparatus is adaptable to dispense flat or creased sheets from a stack of unfolded sheets. Further features will be apparent from the description, the drawings and claims herein.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective of a preferred embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a section of the embodiment of FIG. 1 taken on line 22, sheet thickness being somewhat exaggerated for purposes of illustration;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged portion of the section of FIG. 2; and

FIGS. 4-7 are partial sections similar to FIG. 2 showing successive positions of sheets being dispensed illustrative of the automatic feature.

The remaining figures are of alternative embodiments of the invention.

FIGS. 8 and 9 are vertical section and front views respectively of a cabinet employing a small idler in the throat zone forming a nip with the serving roll;

FIG. 9a is a view similar to FIG. 9 of an embodiment adapted for dispensing creased sheets;

FIGS. 10 and 11 are vertical section and front views respectively of an embodiment also employing a small idler, but here mounted by brackets on the friction roll axis, and forming a nip with the throat shield;

FIGS. 12 and 13 are vertical section and front views respectively of an embodiment employing a loaded pressure means, springs, in the throat zone forming nips with the serving roll;

FIGS. 14 and 15 are vertical section and front views respectively of a nonloaded nip means comprised of an indentation of the throat shield extending to the serving roll;

FIGS. 16 and 17 are vertical section and front views respectively of an embodiment employing a central eccentric roll segment mounted with the friction roll;

FIGS. 18 and 19 are each vertical sections of alternative friction rolls adapted to cooperate with the throat shield for tight engagement of the sheets to ensure automatic operation.

The instant invention is an automatic sheet dispenser for dispensing from a stack of fiat unfolded sheets. As one sheet is Withdrawn, another is automatically looped and brought into position, available for withdrawal. This dispenser is mechanically very simple and employs few moving parts, hence it is practical economically for common dispensing tasks.

The advantages of a dispenser adapted to receive a stack of flat sheets are numerous. Flat, unfolded sheets are more economical to produce than the interleaved sheet stacks or rolls of sheets used in customary dispensers, a folding operation or a rolling operation being eliminated. In many instances, the user prefers a flat sheet, runcreased from interleaving, and available without tearing from a roll.

To maintenance personnel, whose duty it is to keep ice dispensers loaded, dispensers receiving fiat unfolded sheets offer distinct advantages over those dispensers now generally employed. Interleaving the front sheet of the recharge stack with the back sheet of the old stack already in the dispenser is not necessary. Neither is the roll towel dilemma faced: of either removing and replacing partially exhausted rolls, or leaving the dispenser unreplenished, likely to become empty before the next round is made. Rather, with dispensers adapted to receive fiat sheets, a man can make his round carrying a bulk stack and insert into each dispenser an appropriate amount to fill it up.

The mechanical complexity and the relatively great expense of past dispensers for flat sheets has prevented any considerable current use of fiat sheets. The invention for the first time makes practicable automatic flat sheet dispensing. Moreover, an added feature, important where it is desired to have a double sheet thickness, as for certain kinds of towels and tissues, the instant invention is adapted to deliver a neatly creased, folded sheet to the user, from a stack of unfolded, flat sheets.

The invention involves the utilization of a single serving roll acting both as the driven member in contact with a sheet being removed, and as the driving member, looping up a succeeding sheet from the stack and moving it into position for dispensing. A throat defined about the serving roll constrains the movement of sheets with the roll, thereby obtaining the unique automatic operation.

The invention will be more fully understood with reference to the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment, taken in conjunction with the drawings.

Referring to FIGS. 17, a sheet dispensing cabinet 10 is provided to be mounted upon a wall or the like, and adapted to receive and slidingly support a stack of sheets 11 with a face of the stack directed towards an end of the cabinet. A press means is provided inside the cabinet for urging the stack of sheets towards this cabinet end and may comprise, for instance, the illustrated press plate '14 engaging the inner face of the stack, a press arm 16 pivotally mounted to the press plate and to the cabinet, and a spring 2%) adapted to urge the press plate, by the press arm, towards the cabinet end when the cabinet is closed. (As an obvious alternative for use when the cabinet end is directed downwards, an upper weight, resting atop the stack, may serve as the press means. Other such arrangements are, of course, obvious.)

This cabinet end is comprised of cabinet portions 12 and 13, adapted to engage the face of the stack. Disposed between these portions, across the stack face, is a serving port 22. A rotatably mounted serving roll 24, having friction surface portions of rubber, for instance, extends across the cabinet at the serving port. The roll 24 is disposed so that the inward curved surface of the roll extends into the cabinet space, inwards of the stackface engaging surfaces of cabinet portions 12 and 13. Thus the face of a stack of sheets urged toward the cabinet end engages the roll with a substantial pressure.

A throat zone is defined about the roll by throat shield portions 28 and 30. The throat entry adjacent the roll, at the stack face, is adapted to permit sliding movement of sheets from above therethrough and to direct sheet loops, formed from below with movement of the roll 24, into the throat zone, all as hereafter described. The throat shield portions 28 and 30 are disposed close about the roll 24, extending from the throat entry to the serving port with adequate clearance, however, for the multiple thicknesses of sheets necessary for the automatic action.

A turning knob 31 mounted to an end of the serving roll is optionally provided, for the purpose of initially setting the dispenser presenting the first sheet to the user,

' ment stops.

B is thus automatically ready for removal without turning and resists out-of-phase operation.

3,1 meat 3 but this is not touched by a user in obtaining subsequent sheets from the dispenser.

In this embodiment the throat zone is of considerable arcuate length, which in itself ensures friction contact between the serving roll, and sheets being rawn through the throat zone. Resistance to slippage of a sheet along the face of the stack is provided by friction at cabinet portion 12 against which the stack face is urged. Overcoming this resistance by pulling the foremost sheet applies torque to serving roll 2 which automatically serves the next sheet.

The foremost face sheet is designated A, the next sheet B. While the dispenser as illustrated is disposed with the stack face vertical, it will operate in any orientation. For illustrative purposes only the portion of the sheet corresponding with end portion 12 shall be referred to as the upper portion or upper leg of the sheet and that corresponding with end portion 13, the lower portion or lower leg.

Operation of the apparatus is as follows: A stack of fiat sheets is inserted into the cabinet, and the cabinet is closed. The stack is urged forward by the press means with sheet A engaging the serving roll with substantial pressure and also contacting end portions of the cabinet. Sheet A is thus in virtual positive drive contact with the friction surface of the serving roll, and is held by friction between the cabinet ends and sheet B. The knob 31 is turned as indicated in FIG. 1 and the portion'of the sheet A in contact with the roll moves therewith. The lower portion of sheet A corresponding with cabinet end portion 13, at the side of the roll opposite from the throat, slips towards the roll and a pucker P of sheet A immedately begins to form at the entry to the throat zone. As the serving roll continues to turn, further portions of the lower leg are brought to the throat zone, the sheet loops upon itself and the thus formed loop is constrained by the throat shield means and'is carried with the roll in an arcuate path, FIGS. 4 and 5. (Pull on sheet A by the roll may become sufliciently great to-overcome frictional drag of the wall portion 12 so-that the loop may grow from both legs of the sheet during the final stages.) The knob is turned until a sufficient part of the sheet A loop appears in the access region for grasping, FIG. 5. When this-sheet A is grasped and pulled for removal, since the sheet is somewhat frictionally restrained by the stack, and is threaded in a path engaging a substantial arc of the serving roll by the throat shield, pull upon the sheet A applies torque to the roll. Thus the roll moves with manual pull upon the sheet A loop and a pucker in sheet B is formed after all the lower portion of sheet A moves up, out from under the roll. The sheet B loops with continued movement of the roll, and enters the space between the upper leg of sheet A and the serving roll, FIG. 6. The sheet B is pulled along to the dispenser access during removal of sheet A, FIG. 7, and is thus automatically presented for successive removal.

The loop of sheet B stops automatically, while a substantial portion ofthe upper leg of sheet A may yet remain in the cabinet, because the sheet B loop is increasingly interposed between sheet A and the serving roll, decreasing the amount of friction surface of the serving roll engaged with sheet A, whereby slippage progressively increases as the sheet B loop moves further and further out. When the sheet B loop is well within the access region, it masks virtually the entire surface of the serving roll, and further pulling of sheet A results only in slippage ofsheet A against sheet B and serving roll move- After complete removal of sheet A, sheet the knob. Removal of sheet B will cause automatic serving of the next sheet, and so on.

This dispenser is, to a high degree, self-compensating Forinstance, if the loop in sheet B grows at a slower rate, driving by sheet "A continues for a proportionately longer period because sheet B to the access. .sneet dimension so that the sheet conforms around the substantial friction area of the serving roll is in driving contact with sheet A for a dependently longer period.

The proportions of the apparatus may be widely varied but adequate roll friction contact must be assured; for paper towels and the like the roll may be of a diameter of about 1 /2 inches, the length of the narrow passage from the face sheet to the end of the roller shield may be about half the circunnerence of the roll to provide for adequate roll driving surface, and accordingly, the lower portion of the sheet face measured downward from the roll may be of a distance of about equal to the circumfercnce of the roll to ensure a doubled loop sufiicient to be grasped; and the upper portion measured upwards of tie throat entry should be of a somewhat greater length than the lower portion toprovide driving of the roll during the withdrawal of the upper portion to loop up the lower portion of the next succeeding sheet, while providing for some slippage.

Reference is now made to the alternative embodiments.

FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate the utilization of a small idler roll 2 rotatably mounted in parallel with and in a nip relation with the serving roll 24 in the throat zone. A numberof interrelated advantages are realized in such an embodiment. Proper movement of a loop being formed is assured by the nip. Premature slippage between sheets A andB is prevented by the nip. A resistance to pull on sheet A is added which, in being overcome, promotes an application of torque to the roll by the removal of the sheet A. The nip presses sheets against the serving roll 24 promoting frictional contact. In such an embodiment the friction at the face of the stack promoted by the cabinet end becomes of less importance and it is possible to foreshorten the throat shield 30 in some instances while obtaining the guaranteed automatic serving.

The idler roll 29 of FXG. 9 preferably-has a cross sheet dimension of 1 inch to 3 inches. With such'a small width, only a small ortion of the sheetis creased, and the result is that the sheet removed from the dispenser is substantially flat, advantageous, forinstance, with delicatessen paper.

Referring to FIG. 9a, the idler.roll.29a extends the full width of the sheet, in nip-relation with the serving roll 24. The entire width of a loop as it is formed in a sheet, therefore, passes through the nip and the sheet is thereby creased double, and is available to the user in that 7 form. Thus it is possible with the instant invention to automatically dispense doubled sheets from .a stack of unfolded sheets, as is desired with certain absorbent papers.

Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, the serving roll is here divided into two portions 49 and 42 with a gap in between on the order of 1 inch to 3 inches. The serving roll axle 41 extends through the roll sections and two spaced apart brackets 44 and 46 are mounted in this gap, upon axlel supporting idler. axle 48 therebetween. Upon axle 48 is rotatably supported an idler 50 having a diameter substantially smaller than that of the serving'roll and in a nip relation with a conforming throat shield portionotl which restrains rotation of brackets and idler about axle 4i. The-idler thussqueezes sheet A andB'togetherrestraining sheet A from premature slippage promoting proper movement of the loop of sheet prior to delivery of The idler roll fit has a small crossidler and engages the serving roll surfaces for driving.

Referring to FEGS. 12 and 13, loaded pressure means, springs 52,5 2 and 56, are secured to the throat shield 60 spaced along the serving roll and forming a nip therebetween. inordinate slippage between successive sheets is prevented, and driving contact between the sheets and the serving roll is enhanced. An alternative embodiment employs a single substantially wider spring.

Referring to FEGS. 14 and 15, the serving roll is a composite of cylindrical friction surface members 72, 74, 76

and 78 and low' friction cylindrical surface members 73;

75, and 77. The throat shield is indented at 80, 82 and 84 to register with the low friction surfaces of the serving roll to form nips therebetween. Inordinate slippage between successive sheets is prevented and the nips advance to some degree the friction contact between sheets and the friction sections of the serving roll.

Referring to FIGS. 16 and 17 the serving roll is a com posite comprised of two friction sections 86 and 88 and a central, eccentric cylindrical member 90 having its outermost radius proportioned so that a nip is formed with the throat shield as the larger portion of the eccentric passes thereby. As with the embodiment of FIGS. and 11, the eccentric has a relatively cross-sheet dimension so that the sheets fold down and engage the serving roll portion 86 and 88 for driving. The eccentric 90 can itself serve for driving and may be of a spongy, compressible material. This eccentric serves to prevent undue slippage, enhances loop formation and movement and can push the loop into and through the throat zone.

Referring to FIG. 18, there is shown a serving roll comprised of a core portion 96 and radially extending resilient spikes 98 adapted to engage the sheets for friction drive and to substantially fill the throat zone urging sheets A and B together promoting movement of loops through the throat zone and preventing undue slippage.

One alternative embodiment of the general nature of that of FIG. 18 is shown in FIG. 19 wherein there are radially extending resilient portions having a cross section similar to daisy petals. By nature of the narrow root sections 102 of the petals 104, these are very flexible with respect to the core, but their relatively high outer mass ensures complete filling of the throat zone beginning at the entry, promoting initial loop movement into the throat as well as preventing undue slippage between the sheets.

Among modifications of the dispenser are the use of a ratchet preventing back-turning of the roll, modified shapes of the cabinet housing to conceal the roll, and use of a small idler at the entry to the throat zone.

These and numerous obvious modifications of the dispenser can be utilized while employing the teachings of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A dispenser for a stack of edge-aligned sheets, the dispenser being of the type in which pulling by a user upon a first sheet drives a second sheet into a position to be removed, the dispenser requiring only one roll to engage the stack, said sheet dispenser comprising a cabinet adapted to hold a stack of sheets each having a pair of parallel edges, said cabinet having one end adapted to receive a face of the stack, said cabinet end having a crosswise port, a single driving friction roll rotatably mounted in said port and disposed inwardly from said cabinet end so as to engage an inserted stack across the face thereof, said roll being positioned parallel to the edges of the face sheet and between them, spaced away from each but substantially closer to one than to the other, a surface means disposed on the side of said roll corresponding with the more remote face edge, said throat surface defining, with a substantial portion of the periphery of said roll, an arcuate throat having an entry at said stack face and extending outwardly to a discharge point exposed directly to a user, said throat surface means being adapted to engage sheets passing therethrough and positioned to constrain said sheet against said roll throughout a substantial arc to the discharge point, press means for urging an inserted stack against said roll and against end portions of said cabinet thereof including said passage entry, and means for manually actuating said roll to loop up the face sheet of an inserted stack into said throat passage, there by setting the apparatus for automatic dispensing.

2. The sheet dispenser of claim 1 wherein said throat surface means solely comprises shield portions closely surrounding said roll.

3. The sheet dispenser of claim 2 wherein portions of 6 said shield portions are indented into said passage adapted tightly to grip against said driving roll sheets passing through said passage.

4. The sheet dispenser of claim 1 wherein a rotatable idler is provided in said passage, adapted to grip tightly against an opposing surface sheets passing through said passage.

5. The sheet dispenser of claim 4 wherein said idler roll is disposed against said serving roll, providing sure driving contact between sheets passing therebetween and said driving roll.

6. The sheet dispenser of claim 4 adapted to automatically produce double folded sheets wherein said idler is of a length substantially equal to the width of the driving roll and is in contact therewith substantially throughout said mutual extent.

7. The sheet dispenser of claim 1 wherein said driving roll is resilient and said throat surface means is positioned with only running clearance from said roll throughout the mutual extent thereof, said throat passage being adapted to tightly grip sheets passing through said passage, substantially across the entire width thereof, being thereby adapted to serve folded sheets.

8. The sheet dispenser of claim 1 wherein said driving roll is comprised at least in part of resilient, yieldable portions adapted to engage opposing surface means defining said passage to promote movement of sheets therethrough.

9. The sheet dispenser of claim 1 wherein said driving roll includes an eccentric segment adapted to promote movement of sheets through said passage.

10. The sheet dispenser of claim 1 wherein spring members are provided in said passage to tightly grip against opposing surface sheets passing therebetween.

11. A dispenser for a stack of edge-aligned sheets, the dispenser being of the type in which pulling by a user upon a first sheet drives a second sheet into a position to be removed,

the dispenser requiring only one roll to engage the stack,

said dispenser comprising a single frictional driving roll mounted to rotate about its axis,

a stack-holding means constructed and arranged to cause oppositely directed parallel edges of the stack to be parallel to said roll, positioning the first sheet at one face of the stack in frictional engagement with said roll, with the first of said edges spaced in one direction and the second of said edges spaced in the opposite direction from said roll, said holding means including press means urging said stack face against said roll,

a throat-defining surface means mounted in opposition to said roll at the side thereof corresponding with said first edge, said surface means defining with a substantial portion of the periphery of said roll an armate throat having an entry at said stack face and extending outwardly to a discharge point exposed directly to a user,

said single roll adapted to turn in the direction from said entry to said discharge point and to drag the contacting portion of said first sheet towards the entry of said throat,

said stack holding means further constructed and arranged to restrain from sliding away from said roll, the portion of said first sheet that extends from said throat to said first edge whereby turning of said roll causes said first sheet to be driven into a pucker into said throat,

said throat surface means positioned close to said roll periphery to confine the entire sheet against said roll throughout a substantial are enabling said pucker portion of the first sheet to be progressed through said throat upon initial turning of said roll and enabling trailing portions of said first sheet to directly drive said single rollwhen the leading portion thereof is pulled by a user,

the throat having a length adapted to expose the leading portion of said first sheet to a user when the second edge of said first sheet passes under said roll, while a substantial length of trailing portion of said first sheet remains in said dispenser to be thereafter confined against said driving roll to enable saidroll to form a pucker in said second sheet and progress it through said throat while said first sheet is pulled from said dispenser.

12. The dispenser according to claim 11 wherein said throat defining surface means comprises a limiting shield surface formed about a convexly curved portion of said driving surface for a substantial arc distance, defining with said driving surface a curved passage through which said sheet passes during withdrawal.

13. The dispenser according to claim 12 wherein said throat surface defining means includes a nip member wholly out of contact with the stack, positioned against said driving roll to press said sheet against said driving surface when said sheet passes therebet-ween.

14. The dispenser according to claim 13 wherein said nipmember comprises a substantially stationary surface member.

15. The dispenser according to claim 13 wherein said nip member comprises a-rotatably mounted idler pinch roll.

16. The dispenser'according to claim 13 Whereinthe lengths of the two portions of the sheet defined by the position of the drive roll are proportioned to leave a part of the sheet portion extending towards said first edge within the dispenser, preceding the nip, when the second end of the sheet. passes between said stack and said roll,

said remaining portion dimensioned to drive said driving surface as it is withdrawn to draw the succeeding sheet through said nip sufiiciently to be grasped by a user.

References Cited in the file of this patent -UNITED STATES PATENTS 687,343 SchilZ Nov. 26, 1901 823,936 Dick June 19, 1906 965,780 Welsh July 26, 1910 1,106,559 Hamilton Aug. 11, 1914 1,357,070 Matthews Oct. 26, 1920 1,466,492 Stiriss Aug. 28, 1923 1,486,079 Fernandez Mar. 4, 1924 1,674,187 Winkler etral June 19,1928 1,703,594 Pratt Feb. 26,1929

FOREIGN PATENTS 619,323 Germany Sept. 27, 1935 

1. A DISPENSER FOR A STACK OF EDGE-ALIGNED SHEETS, THE DISPENSER BEING OF THE TYPE IN WHICH PULLING BY A USER UPON A FIRST SHEET DRIVES A SECOND SHEET INTO A POSITION TO BE REMOVED, THE DISPENSER REQUIRING ONLY ONE ROLL TO ENGAGE THE STACK, SAID SHEET DISPENSER COMPRISING A CABINET ADAPTED TO HOLD A STACK OF SHEETS EACH HAVING A PAIR OF PARALLEL EDGES, SAID CABINET HAVING ONE END ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A FACE OF THE STACK, SAID CABINET END HAVING A CROSSWISE PORT, A SINGLE DRIVING FRICTION ROLL ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID PORT AND DISPOSED INWARDLY FROM SAID CABINET END SO AS TO ENGAGE AN INSERTED STACK ACROSS THE FACE THEREOF, SAID ROLL BEING POSITIONED PARALLEL TO THE EDGES OF THE FACE SHEET AND BETWEEN THEM, SPACED AWAY FROM EACH BUT SUBSTANTIALLY CLOSER TO ONE THAN TO THE OTHER, A SURFACE MEANS DISPOSED ON THE SIDE OF SAID ROLL CORRESPONDING WITH THE MORE REMOTE FACE EDGE, SAID THROAT SURFACE DEFINING, WITH A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE PERIPHERY OF SAID ROLL, AN ARCUATE THROAT HAVING AN ENTRY AT SAID STACK FACE AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY TO A DISCHARGE POINT EXPOSED DIRECTLY 